Display card



July 18, 1939. OWENS 2,166,766

DISPLAY CARD Filed Nov. 3, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 H. M. OWENS July 18, 1939.

DISPLAY CARD Filed Nov. 3, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JXQXG 16 v Patented July 18, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a card, on the surface of which articles to be sold can be displayed on store counters and the like.

The principal objects of this invention are to provide such a card with a simple and inexpensive means for holding the article and especially to so construct that means that the articles will not drop out accidentally and that any sneak thief will have suificient difficulty in removing the articles to be detected before he has a chance to get away with them and the thefts will largely or entirely be avoided; to provide a holder for the articles which is separate from the card and of such a nature as to project through the card; to provide a very simple holding means; to provide integral means whereby the card can be held on the counter in an inclined position, and to provide a construction for this purpose which will be inexpensive to manufacture and which can be folded up flat to enable it to be packed and shipped easily.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a front view of a preferred form of this invention, designed for holding combs;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig, 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan of part of the blank of which the card is made;

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the blank or back of the article with the means for holding the combs in place;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1;

Fig. '7 is a front view of a card made in accordance with this invention and shown as supporting toothbrushes;

Fig. 8 is a plan of one end of the blank from which this card is made;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view on the line 9-9 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is a front elevation of the holder which is applied to the card to hold the articles;

Fig. 11 is an edge view of the holder as indicated by the arrow II in Fig. 10;

Fig, 12 is a view similar to Fig. 7 showing a modified form of holder for supporting a different kind of article, as for example, a barrette, and

Fig. 13 is a sectional view on the line |3l3 of Fig. 12.

This invention is capable of several uses and it is shown herein, with modifications, for holding combs, toothbrushes, and barrettes, although adapted for holding other articles for display purposes.

In Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive it is shown as adapted for holding combs. A blank of pasteboard is divided into two, preferably equal, parts by an integral vertical curved hinge 2 and a slit 3 continuing to the top therefrom. This enables the card to stand upright without other aid by lo-' cating the two parts, as shown in Fig. 2.

- At the center, preferably, of each part of the cardboard, is a vertical slot 4 formed in the blank. Each of these slots is filled by a convex channellike portion or half cylinder 6 from two rear flaps- 5 which are pasted, cemented, or otherwise secured to the back of the card I. These semicylinders are located on the front of the card I and are provided with holes or openings 9 at each side in registration and connected across the outside. They are separated by the half cylinder 6 having convex projections 8 at their opposite edges.

In Figs, 7 to 13 inclusive, the same objects are secured. The blank ID, of which the card is made, is formed of a single piece of cardboard or some other sheet material. It has a plane face II which constitutes the main portion of it and that is provided with a slot l2, preferably extending from one end to the other horizontally, the

purpose of which will be explained hereinafter.

At the end of the rectangular part of this blank is a convex portion l3 formed simply by bending the card and on the opposite edges of the card and integral with these convex portions are provided two flaps M of a triangular shape, such that when the card is located in a nearly vertical position, these flaps may be bent back to support it in a slightly inclined position. The bending, of course, occurs in the convex portion l3 which is substantially vertical. In that way the card itself assumes the position shown in Fig. '7.

In the form shown in Figs. 7 to 11 inclusive, a holder I5 is provided which has a convex projection l6, preferably formed as a half cylinder. It also has two side projections ll, which are adapted to be secured by pasting or otherwise to the back of the card ll, leaving the projecting portion I6 extending through to the front. The convex part I6 is provided with a hole or opening l9 at the bottom and one at the top. In this case the sides do not come in contact with each other but opposite projections l8 thereon are provided which extend toward each other. This part just described forms the means for holding the toothbrush, lead pencil, or any other suitable article. These projections or tongues l8 project toward each other on opposite sides for the purpose of lapping over the shank of the toothbrush or similar part of any other object,

In order to remove the comb, or the like, itahas to be detached or moved out of its normal position enough to get by one of these projections. This results in the practical elimination of the chance of the article held on this card being accidentally dislodged and falling down from its holder. A more important advantage of this construction is that sneak thieves sometimes pick articles of this nature out of display cards on counters. In this case that could be done only by twisting the comb or other article, which causes the material of which the tongue [8 is made, which is paper or cardboard, making a snapping noise and attracting the attention of the clerk. It also delays the action of getting away with the article, thus furnishing a safety means.

The display card may be of any desired length and, of course, the passages through it for the toothbrushes, combs, or other articles, are made far enough apart so that these articles can be placed in regular position the same distances apart and can be attractively displayed while holding a goodly number of them for this purpose.

In the form shown in Figs. 12 and 13 the same principle is present. The holder 20 has two flanges 2| by which it is secured to the back of the cardboard support 22 and projects through a much wider opening 23 in the card. This is for the purpose of supporting something that is provided with a pin topass through the holder 20. In this case barrettes 24 are shown having pins 25 which can be passed through the two sides of the holder 20, for which openings in these sides preferably are provided, although they can be placed in position without them, if necessary.

It will be seen that this constitutes a simple,

inexpensive device for displaying various kinds of articles and can be folded up by turning in the flaps l4 into small compass for shipment and storage. They form a means for almost positively holding the article, preventing the danger of loss by accident or theft and display the tooth-brushes, or the like, in parallel positions and in an attractive manner.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. As an article of manufacture, a display card and support for combs or the like comprising a blank provided with a relatively long slot therethrough and a holder in one integral piece having a series of spaced channel-like projecting portions extending through the slot beyond the front face of the card and parallel with the slot, the adjacent channel portions having yielding spaced points projecting toward each other, said holder having opposite side projections fixed to the back of the card on opposite sides of said slot, whereby said yielding projections constitute a holding means for the back of the comb and said channels constitute compartments for receiving certain teeth of the comb to hold the article in place.

2. As an article of manufacture, a display card and support for articles having a flat portion and having one or more projections, comprising a blank provided with a relatively long slot therethrough and a holder in one integral piece having a series of spaced channel-like projecting portions extending through the slot beyond the front face of the card, the adjacent channel portions having yielding spaced points projecting toward each other, said holder having opposite sideprojections fixed to the back of the card on opposite sides of said slot, whereby said yielding projections constitute a holding means for the flat portion of the article to hold it against turning, and said channels constitute compartments for receiving certain of said projections on the article, to hold the article.

HARVEY M. OWENS. 

